Whether you’re listening to the latest episode of the Gadget Lab podcast or hitting the trail with Taylor Swift on repeat, the right pair of wireless headphones can make your day. The only problem is that there are so many to choose from. WIRED’s Gear team is constantly testing new models, and these are the very best wireless headphones we’ve found.
Be sure to check out all our audio buying guides, like the Best Wireless Earbuds, Best Workout Earbuds, Best Smart Speakers, and Best Bluetooth Speakers, for more music nirvana.
Updated March 2024: We’ve added the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, and Sony WH-CH720N headphones.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
Smell has unrivalled emotional power. As such, the art of olfaction is rightfully being included in a new multisensory performance, says perfumer Mathilde Laurent
Pythagoras has influenced Western music for millennia
Bilwissedition Ltd/Alamy
An ancient Greek belief about the most pleasing combinations of musical notes – often attributed to the philosopher Pythagoras – doesn’t actually reflect the way people around the world appreciate harmony, researchers have found. Instead, Pythagoras’s mathematical arguments may merely have been taken as fact and used to assert the superiority of Western culture.
According to legend, Pythagoras found that the ringing sounds of a blacksmith’s hammers sounded most pleasant, or…
Elton John performing at Glastonbury Festival in June 2023
Matt Crossick/Alamy
Hearing live music may be more stirring than listening to a recording of the same tune because it triggers greater activity in the part of the brain linked to processing emotions.
Sascha Frühholz at the University of Zurich in Switzerland and his colleagues composed 12 pieces of music, each lasting 30 seconds. Half were written with the aim of conveying negative emotions, such as sadness and anger. These were slower, less harmonious and included more minor chords than the remaining songs, written to evoke positive emotions.
They then recruited 27 people, who weren’t musically trained, to listen to these 12 pieces twice – once performed by a live pianist, which the participants heard through a speaker, and once as a recording.
The order they heard them was randomly assigned, with 30 seconds of silence in between. The participants didn’t know when they were hearing a recording or live music.
While listening to the music, they lay in an MRI scanner so the team could monitor their brain activity. The pianist was told to adapt the volume and speed of the piece according to this activity. For example, if a participant was showing little activity in response to a positive piece of music, they may have played louder.
“Recorded music is not adaptive to how a listener is responding, but live pianists often adapt the music to the audience to get the best response from them,” says Frühholz.
The researchers found that live performances of both the negative and positive pieces consistently led to increased brain activity in the left amygdala – the region of the brain that is strongly linked to assigning sensory stimuli, such as sounds, to certain emotions.
Meanwhile, the recorded tunes sparked much less, and much more inconsistent, activity in the left amygdala. This matched up with how emotive the participants rated each piece of music after the experiment.
The findings show that live music intensifies our emotional response, probably due to its free-flowing, dynamic nature, says Frühholz.
The researchers hope to repeat the experiment with a larger audience in a concert setting. “If you go to a live concert, you’re not alone,” says Frühholz. “This intensified emotional experience is also a social experience.”
In her delightfully cheeky Verizon Super Bowl commercial, Beyoncé swore to do one thing: Break the internet. As the commercial demonstrated, she could not—at least not in the literal sense. Instead, after the commercial ended, she did something else: She hacked the internet, dropping two new songs, “Texas Hold ’Em” and “16 Carriages,” the former of which is already on its way to becoming TikTok’s viral dance song of the year.
This was always going to happen. Pretty much everything Beyoncé does—every album drop, every outfit—goes viral. That’s why her Verizon commercial didn’t look like a shallow attempt to astroturf hype. Moreover, “Texas Hold ’Em” is a big pop-country crossover track, and its rapid banjo riffs (from maestro Rhiannon Giddens) and lyrics about whiskey and taking it to the floor are perfect for line dancing. Line dances, which lend themselves to fun mimicry and interpretation, naturally do well on social platforms. It would have been weirder if TikTok hadn’t been flooded with new dances in the week after the song dropped. (If you’re looking for the video that best exemplifies this trend, check out this chart-topper from performers Matt McCall and Dexter Mayfield and then just follow the sound on down, down, down.)
Inevitability, though, isn’t the whole reason “Texas Hold ’Em” is currently the backing track to nearly 134,000 videos with millions of collective views. The song is boot-scootin’ its way onto TikTok at a time when a lot of music has been muted on the platform following a dustup between TikTok and Universal Music Group.
Back in January, after the two companies failed to come to terms on a licensing agreement for UMG music, the massive record company pulled songs that it owns the rights to from TikTok, including cuts from artists like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish. That means any video using music from those artists now plays without sound. Beyoncé’s music is distributed by Columbia/Sony, a UMG rival, so “Texas Hold ’Em” now sits at Number 5 on TikTok’s Viral 50 list. TikTok did not respond to an email seeking comment on this story.
Now, like a shiny holographic disco horse, Beyoncé is atop the social web. When she announced her new album, Act II, and dropped “Texas Hold ’Em” and “16 Carriages,” the internet was in a tizzy about the fact that Beyoncé was making what appeared to be a whole country album, a continuation of the country-infused “Daddy Lessons” from 2016’s Lemonade. (“She coming to put the cunt in country!!” went the replies on the @BeyLegion X account. “‘Daddy Lessons’ reloaded!” went another.)
On Tuesday, “Texas Hold ’Em” made Beyoncé the first Black woman to debut at number one on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. The song has currently been streamed nearly 20 million times.
TikTok sounds don’t count toward Billboard chart rankings, but there is no doubt that viral dances create the kind of hype that leads to song streams, album sales, and radio play. Beyoncé has no control over the TikTok/UMG situation (probably), and she had no way of knowing whether their licensing dispute would still be ongoing when her new music dropped (again, probably), but its existence has paved the way for her new song to be one of the biggest things happening with music on the platform right now. No doubt it would’ve hit these heights regardless, but with less competition, there’s nothing holding it back.
Hearing electronic music can change our reaction times and the sense of unity we feel
guys_who_shoot/Shutterstock
Listening to electronic music seems to change our state of consciousness. Better understanding the brain mechanisms behind this could improve treatments for consciousness-related conditions, as well as enabling doctors to utilise these mechanisms to reduce stress during medical procedures.
An altered state of consciousness is generally defined as a change to our normal mental state, which can be brought about by trauma, medication or recreational drugs. This can change our awareness, as well as how…
Singing, dancing, roller-skating—Usher is the consummate performer. On Sunday, following months of hype, he’ll take the stage at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for the Super Bowl 2024 halftime show, cramming three decades of his hits into a 13-minute performance.
Usher’s performance at Super Bowl LVIII comes after his 100-show Las Vegas residency and the release of his first album in eight years, Coming Home, which the singer released on Friday.
During the set, situated in the middle of the face-off between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, Usher is expected to move through a series of his most popular hits, from the 2001 R&B mainstay “U Got It Bad” to the quintessential club song “Yeah!” The latter song has had something of a renaissance lately. Fitting when you consider the track is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Before taking the stage, Apple Music, which has sponsored the show since last year’s Super Bowl halftime spectacle starring Rihanna, teased Usher’s performance with a short film called “Where’s Usher?”, featuring Ludacris and Lil Jon, furthering speculation that his “Yeah!” collaborators would be joining him on the Super Bowl stage.
Following the show, Apple Music will offer the performance in spatial audio, Apple’s Dolby Atmos–powered “immersive” sound feature. (Short version: You’ll hear it similar to the way you would at the stadium.) Something it also did with Rihanna’s performance. Watch it here.
With basically a billion streaming services to pick from, it can be hard to know where to watch big events—especially the Super Bowl, which frequently switches networks. No need to fret though. It’ll easy to watch the Kansas City Chiefs play the San Francisco 49ers for free online—no cable subscription required.
The two teams go head to head for Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, Nevada tomorrow. Are you having friends over for a raucous party to watch the Big Game? Or are you just tuning in to catch Usher’s halftime show and eat some nachos? Either way, here’s everything you need to know about streaming the Super Bowl online. (We also included info on how to catch the Puppy Bowl, an adorable alternative, for those not into sports.)
What Time Does the Super Bowl Start?
Kickoff for the 2024 Super Bowl is scheduled for 6:30 pm ET tomorrow. Can’t wait for the action to begin? You can expect the pregame show to start around 2 pm ET on Paramount+.
Wanting to check out the Puppy Bowl? Celebrating 20 years of fluffy sportsmanship, the televised event starts at 2 pm ET, which gives viewers plenty of time to check it out before the main game begins.
How to Watch the Big Game Without Cable
Want to watch the Super Bowl for free? New users of Paramount+ can stream the game live by signing up for a seven-day trial. (Set a reminder to cancel your subscription after the game if you decide not to stick around.) The basic Paramount+ plan costs $6 a month, and the upgraded plan that has few ads and access to Showtime content costs twice as much.
Do you often find yourself missing the feeling of watching live television? Having second thoughts about cord-cutting, but not ready to jump back into that kind of commitment? Consider a monthly subscription to a live TV streaming service. Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and FuboTV are three popular options that all carry CBS. After the introductory periods, these subscriptions cost around $75 a month.
It’s likely too late to purchase new gear before the Super Bowl starts, but you might want to consider getting an over-the-air antenna for future situations like this. Using the relatively cheap tool, you can watch local channels, including CBS, without any kind of subscription. The reception quality and channel availability depends on your location, so be sure to test it out before any live events.
Where can you stream the Puppy Bowl? If you don’t have cable or a service like YouTube TV, the Puppy Bowl is available to stream with a subscription to Max, which has plans starting at $10 a month. A more niche but cheaper option is to try out Discovery+, a streaming service with tons of trashy reality TV. Discovery+ plans start at $5 a month and include a one-week free trial.
Who’s Performing at the Halftime Show?
Following in the footsteps of Rihanna’s blockbuster, baby-bump revealing performance at last year’s Super Bowl, Usher is the headliner for this year’s halftime show. The eight-time Grammy winner is best known for his energetic club hits, like “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” and “Yeah!”
Will Taylor Swift Be There?
Who knows! Even though Taylor Swift has shown up for select Chiefs games, and boosted ratings, since she started dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, it’s unclear whether the pop star will be in the stands to cheer for him. Swift is performing in Tokyo the week leading up to the Super Bowl. It’s unclear whether she’ll fly back for the game, and tracking her private flights may soon get harder.
Over the past two weeks, Taylor Swift has made headlines dozens of times. Only one, maybe two of those instances have been because of something she actually did. Her music getting removed from TikTok? That was a disagreement between Universal Music Group and the app itself. Her songs getting boosted illegally? That was pirates. Explicit deepfakes of Swift? Blame 4chan. Conspiracy theories that Swift is a psyop? Those come from right-wing commentators. Swift winning Grammys and announcing a new album, The Tortured Poets Department? That news Swift actually broke herself. Taylor Swift is the attention economy’s Tasmanian devil and all anyone can do is try to watch without getting dizzy.
On Sunday, that Tasmanian devil is probably going to Super Bowl LVIII.
The “probably” in that sentence is also something of a news item. Two weeks ago, after the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens and secured their place in the Big Game, fans immediately checked Swift’s Eras Tour schedule—only to find she’ll be in Tokyo the night before her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, hits the turf. After much fretting, and an assist from The West Wing, fans rested assured that she could make it. Further assuaging fears, the Japanese Embassy in Washington, DC, posted on X that “despite the 12-hour flight and 17-hour time difference, the Embassy can confidently Speak Now to say that if she departs Tokyo in the evening after her concert, she should comfortably arrive in Las Vegas before the Super Bowl.” This also made news.
Now, I’m writing about it. This is wild. It’s turning the American tradition of beers, burgers, and the Bowl into a pop culture and political lightning rod. The collision of flag-waving football energy and Swift’s brand of celebrity feminism are causing a cultural confluence not seen since Super Bowl 50 in 2016, when Beyoncé performed “Formation” and conservatives decried Coldplay’s halftime show for promoting the gay agenda. Except Swift isn’t even performing. If there’s a terrible storm between Tokyo and Las Vegas she might not even make it. If she shows up and belches, the internet will look into it; Google search interest for “watch necklace” all but quadrupled based on her Grammys accessory. Imagine what a little gas could do.
Swift’s mere presence at Chiefs games has been bringing huge viewership spikes to NFL broadcasts this season. Last year’s Super Bowl, which featured an iconic performance by Rihanna, was viewed by a colossal 115 million people, according to Nielsen. Swift’s attendance—or even the idea that she might attend—at LVIII could put viewership even higher. Even though the game is already the US’s most-watched sporting event of the year, having Swift involved significantly impacts the event’s cultural cache.
“The Super Bowl is already such a major US pop culture event. It’s already a mix of people who like the NFL, which is a big audience, and then you’ve got the people who are more interested in the ads than the game,” says Charles R. Taylor, a marketing professor at Villanova University. “Now you add this Taylor Swift Effect on top of that and it’s going to be record-breaking.”
This, in turn, is why Swift often finds herself in the crosshairs of conspiracy theorists and AI deepfake makers. Celebrity is a black hole for eyeballs, pulling in all the attention it can get. Swift’s brand, which has evolved in both mainstream media and social media simultaneously, is unlike anything before it. Swift now dominates TikTok and Instagram, just like she did Tumblr a decade ago. Awareness of Swift knows no borders, so anyone seeking attention—deepfakers, podcast pundits—gets more mileage out of using her name and image than any other.
Johann Sebastian Bach was a great composer – according to information theory
The Granger Collection / Alamy Stock Photo
Johann Sebastian Bach is considered one of the great composers of Western classical music. Now, researchers are trying to figure out why – by analysing his music with information theory.
Suman Kulkarni at the University of Pennsylvania and her colleagues wanted to understand how the ability to recall or anticipate a piece of music relates to its structure. They chose to analyse Bach’s opus because he produced an enormous number of pieces with many different structures, including religious hymns called chorales and fast-paced, virtuosic toccatas.
First, the researchers translated each composition into an information network by representing each note as a node and each transition between notes as an edge, connecting them. Using this network, they compared the quantity of information in each composition. Toccatas, which were meant to entertain and surprise, contained more information than chorales, which were composed for more meditative settings like churches.
Kulkarni and her colleagues also used information networks to compare Bach’s music with listeners’ perception of it. They started with an existing computer model based on experiments in which participants reacted to a sequence of images on a screen. The researchers then measured how surprising an element of the sequence was. They adapted information networks based on this model to the music, with the links between each node representing how probable a listener thought it would be for two connected notes to play successively – or how surprised they would be if that happened. Because humans do not learn information perfectly, networks showing people’s presumed note changes for a composition rarely line up exactly with the network based directly on that composition. Researchers can then quantify that mismatch.
In this case, the mismatch was low, suggesting Bach’s pieces convey information rather effectively. However, Kulkarni hopes to fine-tune the computer model of human perception to better match real brain scans of people listening to the music.
“There is a missing link in neuroscience between complicated structures like music and how our brains respond to it, beyond just knowing the frequencies [of sounds]. This work could provide some nice inroads into that,” says Randy McIntosh at Simon Fraser University in Canada. However, there are many more factors that affect how someone perceives music – for example, how long a person listens to a piece and whether or not they have musical training. These still need to be accounted for, he says.
Information theory also has yet to reveal whether Bach’s composition style was exceptional compared with other types of music. McIntosh says his past work found some general similarities between musicians as different from Bach as the rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen, but more detailed analyses are needed.
“I would love to perform the same analysis for different composers and non-Western music,” says Kulkarni.
